Comments on: Tom Wilson: 2013-14 Season Reviewhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/
We're the relentlessly fun Washington Capitals blog hopelessly devoted to Alex Ovechkin, Dmitry Orlov, and Evgeny Kuznetsov!Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:14:00 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7By: Eric Schulzhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73558
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:46:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-735588) I think our top pair is Alzner – Carlson (so, I disagree with 3. I think that’s a fine top pair, we just need a better bottom two pairs. For once, I think we can fill one spot in-house; every other year I think we should’ve added a FA defender to bolster the 2nd AND 3rd pairing. This year, I think only the 2nd; the 3rd we can fill in-house, we have a lot of guys to compete). I’d have Green partnered with a FA guy on the 2nd pair, and Orlov with not-Schmidt on the 3rd (whoever earns it: Erskine if he rebounds, Hillen, Oleksy, Brouillette, even Strachan I think should get a look as a big, physical guy who can maybe kill penalties. Schmidt’s better than Strachan obviously, but stylistically, we need a guy who can be physical and kill penalties. Hopefully Wey earns it). Which means: I think Schmidt should be the top guy in the AHL; I’d have Carrick on the 2nd line. No?
9) I think we can be a contender without jeopardizing the future. As long as we resign Grabovski and sign a 4th defender (not a ton of options, but there are some), we can contend with good coaching.
]]>By: Eric Schulzhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73557
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:43:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73557Hope is a strong word; the evidence tells us that it was coaching. The evidence tells us Trotz is a good coach who can roll 4 lines and maximize players’ roles, even if we can’t be sure he will open up the offense enough to maximize players’ *point production.* Things may not go well, but I’d be more surprised if Green continued declining than if Green rebounded with good coaching, since he’s been a great player (not perfect, but best offensive defenseman in the NHL isn’t shabby) when not under Oates.
]]>By: Eric Schulzhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73556
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:40:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73556We don’t have balance? Maybe not, but we could.
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Fehr
Kuznetsov – Grabovski – Wilson
Laich – Johansson – Brouwer
Chimera – Latta – Ward
We have a 50 goal scorer in Ovie, and Backstrom should at least get close to 20; he’s getting 80 points, as is Ovechkin. Fehr drives possession on that line, and probably gets 20 goals and 40+ points with the opportunity to play on the top line with those two. Kuznetsov projects for 21 goals and 51 points based on last season, and even if he regresses due to on-ice shooting percentage, he’s more likely to improve as he gets comfortable and, more importantly, good coaching, plus he gets to play with Grabovski. Grabovski’s a lock for 20 goals, 50 points if healthy, and has 30/60 upside. Wilson.. who knows? High ceiling, but even if he doesn’t reach it, I think he fits well on that line, and can chip in double-digit goals.
Brouwer is a 20-goal scorer on the 3rd, and Johansson’s passing makes it less likely that he won’t reach that even with less playing time plus, again, good coaching. Laich is a 20-goal scorer if healthy; that’s the only thing I’m really *hoping* on: him returning to form. He’s had a long offseason, so here’s to hoping.
Chimera and Ward chip in double-digit goals from the 4th line. Even with regression, with better coaching (and more minutes than our 4th line got last year), they are still capable of 20-25 goals and 45-50 points between the two of them. From the 4th line, that’s great.
We’re fine, as long as we keep Grabovski (and add a 4th defenseman).
]]>By: Eric Schulzhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73555
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 17:34:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73555That fan may be “diehard,” but he isn’t very savvy. Brouwer is AT WORST a 3rd liner. I’d put him on the 3rd with Laich (playing LW but taking faceoffs) and Johansson, to pair Johansson’s passing with Brouwer’s finishing. Fehr on top RW with BackstrOvie, Wilson on 2nd with Kuznetsov and Grabovski; hopefully Kuz Nasty and Wilson playing together last year helps them entering this year. That gives us 3 great lines (plus Chimera and Ward on the 4th, centered by Latta, or Brown, or Beagle, or a FA pickup) gives us 4 great lines. Why move Brouwer?
]]>By: Barretthttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73445
Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:30:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73445The Chicago Blackhawks had two 30+ goal scorers : Patrick Sharp (34 goals) and Marian Hossa (30 goals) with Patrick Kane (29 goals) and Jonathan Toews (28 goals) right behind. The other three teams: Los Angeles, New York and Montreal finished the regular season in the bottom half of the league in total goals for while Chicago was 2nd in the league.

The problem wasn’t that Alex Ovechkin scored 51 goals. The team as a whole was 13th in the league in goals scored and if you subtract 20 of Ovechkin’s 51 goals the team still outscored Los Angeles and is right there with Montreal.

The problem, which you touched on, is the lack of scoring depth. The team hasn’t had that since Alexander Semin was let go in free agency. They were also terrible in 5v5 play this season ranking 21 out of 30 teams. They relied solely on the power-play scoring 68 of their 225 goals with the man advantage. Chicago outscored the Capitals by nearly 50 goals at even strength.

Both the Rangers and Kings advanced through to the Stanley Cup finals with two things : solid defense and great goal-tending.

As I mentioned above – I think Holbty can steal you games in the playoffs and he has against Boston a few years ago. He has the skills and mindset to be a #1 goalie. I also think Trotz is fully capable of fixing the defensive zone. He just needs to work with GMBM to get the few missing pieces (ie: a SAH defenseman to pair with Green and a couple two-way forwards that drive puck possession and can win faceoffs).

]]>By: James Desautelshttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73441
Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:01:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73441Interesting fact-of the final 4 teams left last week only 1 (MTL-Pacioretty) had a 30+G scorer. And not counting Marty St. Louis (since 29 of his 30G were with TBL) the Cup teams don’t even have a 30G scorer. My point being-I love all 51 of Ovie’s goals but typically teams that rely on 1 guy doing his thing and then 17 randomly glued together puzzle pieces don’t win the Cup even if they’ve got Ken Dryden between the pipes. Teams that are consistently making deep runs usually have a leading scorer around 30-35G and then 2 more full lines of skaters chipping in 20-25G and balanced D corps. We consistently don’t have that balance anywhere. We have Ovi and Nicky and then 2 or 3 guys scrapping and grinding (yes Wardo and Chimmer were great this year but I fear the #fancystats regress to the mean next season) and a bunch of misused assets.
]]>By: Connorhttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73272
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:25:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73272Fehr drives posession. Crashes net. Plays a two way game. And i think he is more skilled than Ward. Put him on the top line and watch him take off.

Burakovsky doesn’t fit 1 or 2 yet. Best case is keep him in Hershey but only other spot to develop him is 3rd line.

]]>By: DashingDave314http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73269
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:42:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73269Burakovsky is the last guy I’d want in a checking line role. You don’t put extremely skilled forwards on the checking line. That’s like putting Ovi on the PK.

Meant 92, not 90. Why’s Fehr a top 6 forward all of a sudden? Short-term I wouldn’t mind it. Long-term, that’s a problem. Fancy stats are nice, but like Ward, he doesn’t pass the eye test. I’d rather have Wilson up there than Fehr.

]]>By: Chris Besthttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73265
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 07:53:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73265When he got to play on a line with Kuzya, you could see Wilson clearly pick it up a notch. He was excited to play with good talent, skated his butt off and made some really nice plays…the goal not withstanding. I just think Wilson could be something along the lines of a Cam Neely-eque forward given the proper development. I don’t think he’ll ever put up numbers like Neely did, but at least cut from the same kind of thinking. I mean if you put Wilson on the Ovi line and just had him screen goalies with his huge frame and collect garbage goals off rebounds, that wouldn’t be too awful. I want to see defensemen try and move someone of Wilson’s side without taking bad penalties.
]]>By: Peter Hassetthttp://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2014/06/03/tom-wilson-2013-14-season-review/#comment-73259
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 01:39:00 +0000http://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/?p=67494#comment-73259I agree– especially with the last part. Brouwer’s GF/20 during the power play in the last three season is second only to Nicky.

During evens, once he got away from poor hurt Brooksy, he had relatively even possession. I think he’s a solid scorer when given good support.